Most restaurant employees are dedicated professionals who want to provide your guests with the great service and food they deserve. It is still important for you to establish rules of conduct that let your cooks and servers know how you expect them to do their jobs. Some rules of conduct ensure the safety of the food your kitchen produces, while others prevent the front of house from doing anything that detracts from the experience you're trying to create for your customer.

Warm Welcome

Hostesses and other front-of-house staff must greet each customer warmly, even if a customer asks for a table for one. According to a list of diner preferences compiled by New York Times writer Bruce Bushel, hostesses should not refuse to seat incomplete parties and should put effort into describing specials instead of reciting them in monotone.

Professional Interaction with Fellow Employees

Employees must conduct themselves in a manner that won't disrupt the operation of the restaurant. Hoss's Steak and Sea House, a Pennsylvania-based chain of restaurants, forbids employees from discussing the company in a way that might decrease workplace morale. Further, employees are not allowed to be insubordinate to managers or other supervisors. These kinds of interactions can create an unpleasant atmosphere in the restaurant, even if they're not witnessed by customers.

Dealing with Customer Complaints

No matter how hard you try to prevent them, a customer will have a complaint at some point. When this happens, the employee should try to accommodate any reasonable customer request. Employees of the Sunny Point Café in West Asheville, North Carolina are urged to involve a manager in every instance in which a customer complains. This notification allows the manager to step in, if necessary, to handle a problem. Additionally, managers can revisit procedures once the customer is gone to determine whether any aspects of service must be changed.

Kitchen Standards

Chefs and their assistants must conduct themselves in such a manner that both customer and employer are happy. The kitchen must be clean at all times and must adhere to all food safety standards, even during busy services. The Reluctant Gourmet, a website that provides advice for those interested in cooking, says chefs must protect the owner's profits by watching portion sizes. If the menu promises the customer a 12-ounce steak, the customer may enjoy eating a 16-ounce piece of beef, but the owner will see her food costs rise.

About the Author

Ethan Pendleton is a teacher and writer in Columbus, Ohio. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Ohio State University at Marion and teaches writing in various capacities in his community.